Sole channeling apparatus



June 20, E967 3. 0. COMEAU 3,3253% sow CHANNELING APPARATUS Filed Jan.:5, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR Q? ATTGRNEY June 20, 1967 G. o.COMEAU some CHANNELING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1966 m TN J E v v N ATTORNEY June 20, 1%? 3. 0. COMEAU SOLE CHANNELING APPARATUS3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 5, 1966 ENVENTOR ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,325,839 SOLE CHANNELING APPARATUS George 0. Comeau, 6 LittleRiver St., Haverhill, Mass. 01830 Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser- No. 518,19614 Claims. (Cl. 12-41.05)

The present invention relates to apparatus for forming a channel in aface of a sole in predetedmined spaced relation to the edges thereof.

Apparatus for this purpose requires means to turn a shoe sole, laid fiaton a support, relative to a fixed channeling knife to provide a channela predetermined distance from the edge of the sole. Apparatus for thispurpose has not been satisfactory in that the sole turning was manuallyeffected.

The present invention has, as its general objective, the proivsion ofapparatus in which this operation is automatically effected. Inaccordance with the invention, this objective is attained by providingsole channeling apparatus with a first mount attached to the uppersurface of the flat sole support for adjustment transversely withrespect thereto and having first rotatable members with their axesdisposed at right angles to the support. A second mount carries a secondrotatable member and is connected to the support for movement verticallyrelative thereto into and out of an operative position in which the axisof the second rotatable member is parallel to and close to the support.The second mount has a depending, channel-forming knife adjustablyconnected thereto. A third rotatable member is mounted below the supportwith its axis parallel thereto but with its periphery protrudingtherethrough and in the rotational plane of the second rotatable member.

The first, second, and third rotatable members are disposed and drivenrelative to each other to cause a sole to turn with its edge in contactwith the first rotatable members when positioned with a face on thesupport between the second and third rotatable members with its edge incontact with the first rotatable member and with the second rotatablemember in its operative posi tion.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown illustrative embodimentsof the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novelfeatures, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a sole channeler in which two apparatusin accordance with the invention are incorporated,

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of one of the apparatus,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the drive,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective and partly sectioned view of the first mount,

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the drive member and one of the firstrotatable members of the first mount,

FIGURE 6 is a partly sectioned and partly broken away view of achanneling knife and its holder,

FIGURE 7 is an elevational, top plan view of the knife holder and itsconnection with the second mount,

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section of the apparatus taken approximatelyin the plane of rotation of the third rotatable member, and

FIGURE 9 is a somewhat schematic view illustrating the control of theair operated device employed to position the second rotatable member.

The sole channeler shown in the drawings consists of a table-likestructure providing a fiat support 10 common to the two sole channelingapparatus generally indicated at 11 anud 11A in FIGURE 1. As theapparatus 11 and 11A are shown as identical, except as to certaindetails 3,325,839 Patented June 20, 1967 of their drive, a descriptionof the apparatus 11 will suflice. The corresponding parts of theapparatus 11A are, however, distinguished by the sufiix addition A tothe appropriate reference numerals.

The apparatus 11, as may be best seen in FIGURE 2, consists of a firstmount 12, the details of which may best be seen in FIGURE 4.

The mount 12 is slidably supported in the slideway 13 of its base 14which has a captive screw 15 threaded into the mount 12 to enable themount 12 to be adjusted relative to the base 14. The base 14 hasparallel slots 16 and 17, the slot 17 being within and extendinglengthwise of the slideway 13 and the mount 12 has a slot 13 in verticalalinement with the slot 17. The support 10 has a slot 19 through whichlocking bolts 20 extend with nuts 21 threaded on their lower ends, onebolt 20 extending through the slot 16 and the other bolt 21) extendingthrough the vertically alined slots 17 and 18. By this construction themount 12 may be adjusted both relative to its base 14 and, with its base14, relative to the support 10. In practice, the base 14 has a sole-sizescale 22 and the mount 12 has a marker 23, see FIGURE 1, readable withreference thereto.

The amount 12 is shown as provided with a pair of first rotatablemembers, each generally indicated at 25 and having carbide-coated,replaceable rings 25 clamped to the lower end of a shaft 26 supporting ahelical gear 27 and journalled in the chamber 28 of the mount 12 withits axis at right angles to the support 10 and with its ring 25 exposedfor engagement with the edge of a sole 29. Also journalled in thechamber 28 is a helical gear 30 in mesh with both gears 27 and a drivinggear 31 whose shaft 32 is journalled in the chamber 28 with its axis atright angles to the axis of the gears 27 and 30.

A second mount, see FIGURE 2, generally indicated at 33 includes aportion 34 provided with end pivots 35 journalled in bearings 36 mountedon the support 10, a portion 37 rotatably supporting a shaft 38 providedwith a rotatable member, and an intermediate bridging portion 40 betweenthe front end of the portion 34 and the rear end of the portion 37. Theaxis of the shaft 38 is parallel to the surface 10 and to the slot 18and the rotational plane of the second rotatable member 39 is at rightangles to and intersects the slot 19.

The mount portion 34 includes a depending arm 41 extending downwardlythrough an opening 42 in the support 10 and is pivotally connected tothe rod 43 of the double-acting, air operated device 44 having airdelivery lines 45 and 46, see FIGURE 9. The air line 45 is controlled byan adjustable, pressure regulating valve 47 having a normal position inwhich air is delivered to the device 44 to force the second rotatablemember 39 downwardly into an operative position against the uppersurface of a sole 29 under a selected pressure. The air line 46 iscontrolled by a valve 48 by which it is held closed except when thetreadle 49 is depressed with the device 44 then being operative to raisethe second mount 33 to permit the sole 29 to be removed and replaced. Anadjustable stop 50 limits the travel of the rod 43 in a mount raisingdirection.

Secured to the undersurface of the support 10 is a frame 51, see FIGURE2, having depend-ing bearings 52 in support of a shaft 53 provided witha rotatable member 54, hereinafter referred to as the third rotatablemember. The support 10 has a slot 55 in the plane of the secondrotatable member 39 through which the periphery of the third rotatablemember 54 is exposed to be engaged by the undersurface of the sole 29.The third rotatable member 54 may be an abrasive wheel where marginalroughing of the downwardly disposed sole surface is desired.

At the other end of the shaft 52, there is a gear 56 below and exposedthrough an opening 57 in the support 10. Adjacent the ends of theopening 57, there are bearings 58 in support of parallel shafts 59 and60 provided with gears 61 and 62, respectively, the gear 61 in mesh withthe gear 56 and with the gear 62. A generally indicated universal jointconnection 63 joins the shaft 38 and the shaft 60 thereby to enable thesecond mount 33 to be lowered into and raised upwardly from itsoperative position. A generally indicated universal joint connection 64joins the shaft 59 and the shaft 32 thereby to enable the position ofthe mount 12 to be adjusted as required.

Fixed on a mount supporting structure for the support 10, is an electricmotor 66 whose drive shaft 67 is the drive shaft of a speed reducer 68on whose driven shaft 69 there is a sprocket 70. A chain 71 is trainedabout the sprocket.

70, a sprocket 72 on the shaft 53, under an idler sprocket 73 on a shaft74 and about a sprocket 75 on a shaft 76. The shaft 76has a sprocket 77connected by a chain 78 to a sprocket 79 fixed on the shaft 59A torotate the gear 61A as the driving gear for the rotatable members of theapparatus 11A.

A holder for the channeling knife 80 is generally indicated at 81 and isdetailed in FIGURE 6. The holder 81 consists of a housing 82 having avertical slideway 83 for a slide 84. The upper end of the slide 84 has athreaded bore 85 to receive the screw 86 held captive by the housing 82thereby enabling the slide 84 to be moved vertically in either directionby turning the screw 86 in the appropriate direction by means of itshead 87. The slide 84 has a channel 88 opening through one face andslidably confining a nut 89. The opposite face of the slide 84 has aslot 90 opening into the slot 88. A locking screw 91 extends through onewall of the housing 82, the slot 90 and is threaded through the nut 89to enable the nut 89 to be drawn into or released from clamping engagement with the bottom of the channel 88.

At the lower end of the slide 84, there is an inclined shoulder 92supporting a knife 80 which is detachably secured against the slide 84by a clamping jaw 93 slidable in a transverse bore 94 in the slide 84and movable into and out of knife clamping position by turning the screw95 in the appropriate direction.

The holder 81 is adjustably attached to the part 37 of the second mount33, the holder 81 having its housing 82 provided with :a bracket 96 forthis purpose. An arm 97 is slidable in channel 98 and has a slot 99through which a screw 100 extends and by which it and the channel 98 areattached to the mount part 37. A screw 101 threaded into the mount part37 has a washer 102 engageable with the end of the channel 98 to clampit against turning from a desired setting.

The bracket 96 is adjustably attached to the arm '97 :by screws 103 and104, the screw 103 functioning as a pivot and the bracket 96 having arearward slot 105 arcuate with respect to the thus established pivotaxis and receiving the screw 104. The screws 103 and 104 are boththreaded into a locking member 106. With this airrangement, not only isthe knife adjustable vertically and lengthwise with reference to thesecond mount 33 but also it may be turned to vary the lay of its cuttingedge without materially varying its position.

With the apparatus as thus described, and with the second mount 33raised, a sole 29 is placed fiat on the support with the face thereofthat is to be channelled disposed upwardly, its undersurface in contactwith the third rotatable member 54, and its edges in contact with thecarbide-coated rings 25 of the first rotatable members 24. When thesecond mount 33 is lowered into its operative position, the secondrotatable member 39 engages the upper surface of the sole 29. Theseveral rotatable members are now operative to turn the sole 29automatically completely about with a channel 107 being accuratelyformed therein in predetermined relationship to the sole edge requiringonly that the soles be manually placed on and removed from theapparatus.

65, which may be connected to the I claim:

1. In apparatus for providing a sole with a marginal channel in one ofits faces, a flat support for the sole, a first mount connected to saidsupport for adjustment transversely relative thereto and including firstrotatable members having their axes at right angles to said support, asecond mount including a second rotatable member and movable verticallyrelative to said support into and out of an operative position in whichthe axis of the second rotatable member is parallel to and close to saidsupport, and a third rotatable member below said support with its axisparallel thereto but with its periphery protruding upwardlytherethrough, the first, second, and third rotat-v able members beingdisposed and driven relative to each other to cause a sole to turncompletely about with its edge in contact with the first rotatablemembers when positioned with its other face against said support betweensaid second and third rotatable members with its edge in contact withsaid first rotatable members, the second member being in its operativeposition, said second mount also including a depending, channel-formingknife connected thereto, and a drive for each rotatable member andconnected thereto, the drives for the first and second members bothextending transversely of and above said support and including auniversal joint thereby to enable the position of the first mount to beshifted relative to the second and third members.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in'which the drive for the second rotatablemember also extends transversely of and above the support and includesuniversal joints.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the third rotatable member is inthe rotational plane of the second rotatable member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the drives for the first and secondrotatable members include meshing gears, and a drive to rotate one ofthe gears.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first mount is adjustabletowards and away from the second rotatable member and lengthwiserelative to the axis thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the third rotatable member has asole-abrading surface thereby to enable one face of a sole to be abradedwhile the other face is being channeled.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first mount includes a seriesof shafts rotatably supported thereby with their axis parallel and atright angles to the support,

a helical gear on each shaft, one gear being a driving gear, and twobeing driven gears, the first rotatable members being fixed on thedriven shafts, and the drive for the first rotatable member includes ahelical gear rotatably supported by the first mount with its axisparallel to the support and in mesh with the driving gear.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second mount includes a portionpivotally connected to the support and provided with a depending armextending freely through the support, and a double-acting, fluidpressure operated device is connected to the arm thereby to move thesecond rotatable member into and out of its operative position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 and means to adjust the pressure exerted bythe device when the second rotatable member is in its operativeposition.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the drive for the first rotatablemember is between the second mount and its pivotally connected portionand the second mount includes an intermediate section bridging the firstdrive.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first mount includes a baseconnected to the support for adjustment relative thereto parallel to theaxes of the second and third members and a head to which the firstmember is attached and which is slidably connected to the base formovement relative thereto at right angles to said axes, the head and thebase having relatively readable, sole size indicating indicia.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 and means connecting the knife to thesecond mount for movement lengthwise of the 5 6 second mount and alsoangularly with respect to the axis and the shaft has a gear in mesh withone of the gears of of the second rotatable member. the first tWo nameddrives.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second mount includes a headto which the knife is connected References Cited and the head ispivotally connected to the second mount 5 UNITED STATES T N S with thepoint of the knife approximately in the pi ot axis. 2088765 8/1937 Seely1241.05 14. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the drives for 2 230 3832/1941 Monfils 05 the first and second members are above the support,the third rotatable member includes a shaft below the support PATRICKLAWSON, Primary 5x61711116"-

1. IN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SOLE WITH A MARGINAL CHANNEL IN ONE OFITS FACES, A FLAT SUPPORT FOR THE SOLE, A FIRST MOUNTED CONNECTED TOSAID SUPPORT FOR ADJUSTMENT TRANSVERSELY RELATIVE THERETO AND INCLUDINGFIRST ROTATABLE MEMBERS HAVING THEIR AXES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAIDSUPPORT, A SECOND MOUNT INCLUDING A SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER AND MOVABLEVERTICALLY RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT INTO AND OUT OF AN OPERATIVEPOSITION IN WHICH THE AXIS OF THE SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER IS PARALLEL TOAND CLOSE TO SAID SUPPORT, AND A THIRD ROTATABLE MEMBER BELOW SAIDSUPPORT WITH ITS AXIS PARALLEL THERETO BUT WITH ITS PERIPHERY PROTRUDINGUPWARDLY THERETHROUGH, THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD ROTATABLE MEMBERSBEING DISPOSED AND DRIVEN RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER TO CAUSE A SOLE TO TURNCOMPLETELY ABOUT WITH ITS EDGE IN CONTACT WITH THE FIRST ROTATABLEMEMBERS WHEN POSITIONED WITH ITS OTHER FACE AGAINST SAID SUPPORT BETWEENSAID SECOND AND THIRD ROTATABLE MEMBERS WITH ITS EDGE IN CONTACT WITHSAID FIRST ROTATABLE MEMBERS, THE SECOND MEMBER BEING IN ITS OPERATIVEPOSITION, SAID SECOND MOUNT ALSO INCLUDING A DEPENDING, CHANNEL-FORMINGKNIFE CONNECTED THERETO, AND A DRIVE FOR EACH ROTATABLE MEMBER ANDCONNECTED THERETO, THE DRIVE FOR THE FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS BOTHEXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF AND ABOVE SAID SUPPORT AND INCLUDING AUNIVERSAL JOINT THEREBY TO ENABLE THE POSITION OF THE FIRST MOUNT TO BESHIFTED RELATIVE TO THE SECOND AND THIRD MEMBERS.